Alleged Russian secret agents arrested in the United States on spying charges
were tasked with gathering information on nuclear weapons, foreign policy
and Congressional politics, court papers claim.

The FBI alleges that eleven operatives ran a “deep cover” espionage mission under orders from the Russian foreign secret service to penetrate US government policy-making circles.

Top of the list of their priorities was to glean intelligence on US President Barack Obama’s foreign policy, particularly towards Russia, prosecutors claim.

The “New Jersey Conspirators”

Court documents allege that in spring 2009, two of the suspects, Richard and Cynthia Murphy, who live in New Jersey, were asked for information about Mr Obama's impending trip to Russia that summer.

The pair were allegedly directed by SVR, the successor organisation to the Soviet Union's KGB, to gather details about the “US position on a new strategic arms limitation treaty, Afghanistan and Iran’s nuclear program”.

The papers say that in coded electronic messages intercepted by the FBI, SVR asked the couple for “intels” on the stances and ideas on these topics of four named US foreign policy officials travelling with Mr Obama.

The message allegedly read: “Try to outline their views and most important Obama's goals, which he expects to achieve during summit in July and how does his team plan to do it (arguments, provisions, means of persuasion to 'lure' [Russia] into co-operation in US interests.”

Another intercepted message said Cynthia Murphy had “several work-related personal meetings” with a man the court papers describe as a New York-based financier “prominent in politics” and an “active fund-raiser” for a major political party.

In response, Moscow Center – SVR’s headquarters – described the man as a “very interesting target” and urged the defendants to "try to build up little by little relations”.

The message allegedly said: “Maybe he can provide [Murphy] with remarks re US foreign policy, 'roumors' [sic] about White house internal 'kitchen,' invite her to venues (to major political party HQ in NYC, for instance ... In short, consider carefully all options in regard to [the financier].”

The couple were also allegedly told to dig for information from sources including political and economic experts close to the US government, state departments and think tanks about any international affairs of interest to Russia.

Among other dispatches intercepted, Mrs Murphy allegedly reported to superiors about prospects for the global gold market using information from contacts she had made in New York.

The Murphys also passed details to bosses on US residents they believed could be groomed as potential recruits to SVR, prosecutors claim.

The “Boston Conspirators”

Another two suspects, Donald Heathfield and his wife Tracey Foley, who shared a house in Boston, are alleged to have been told to seek information about US foreign policy.

A message sent to them by SVR allegedly requested details of US policies on terrorists’ use of the internet and central Asia, as well as information about problems with US military policy, and US attitudes to Russian foreign policy.

One intercepted report from Mr Heathfield gave details of information he had gleaned from a staff member at a US government research laboratory about “nuclear bunker-buster warheads” being developed under the orders of Congress, court papers allege.

Another message back to Moscow from the defendants focused on turnover at the top level of the CIA and the 2008 US presidential election, prosecutors said.

The information was described as having been received in private conversation with, among others, a former legislative counsel for Congress.

The “Yonkers Conspirators”

A covert recording of a conversation between two other defendants, Juan Lazaro and Vicky Pelaez, a Peruvian-born reporter and editor, who share a house in Yonkers, suggests that their alleged information gathering was less well received.

Mr Lazaro is alleged to have said: “They tell me that my information is of no value because I didn’t provide any source … it’s of no use to them.”